courses

“All you need is an open mind”: Meet the instructor delivering Fire Tech’s Saturday classes

Fire Tech Crew is our 10-week Saturday programme for 9-12 year olds starting September 16th until December 2nd in Notting Hill, London. In this exploratory programme students jump start their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics) journey as our specialist tutors bring subjects to life for two hours in the morning or the afternoon each Saturday.

For those Crew courses held at the Barclays Eagle Lab, students have the opportunity to 3D print popular board games, engineer robots to follow their commands and recreate video games in a fun and collaborative environment. Students break down, build up, and iterate their projects to create finished products they’re super proud of.

Pamela (pictured here during Fire Tech’s recent project with the Department of Education and Kusuma Trust in Gibraltar) is completing her PhD in Computer Science at Imperial College and is one of our Fire Tech Crew tutors. Below, Pamela shares what campers can expect and why you should join us at Fire Tech Crew this fall.

What is Fire Tech Crew?

The purpose of this course is not only to introduce technology concepts such as electronic circuits and programming languages, but also to give the students the necessary tools to develop their own technological products. We aim to show students the full use of day-to-day devices.

What do students learn?

The students get in contact with different topics at different sections: robotics, electronic circuits, programming languages, 3D printing and laser cutting, and so on. More importantly, students learn how these technologies work and how to develop projects with them.

What projects do they work on?

Students develop a variety of projects such as a smartwatch or a small robot, they can program their own video game or model a board game with laser cutting and 3D printing. In all projects we stimulate teamwork and creative thinking, giving the students freedom to explore all the necessary tools.

What skills do children come away with?

Students gain confidence in developing solutions for real world problems. Some students, for example, decide to repeat some sections so they can develop more advanced projects, and others explore advanced tools at home and bring in new ideas.

What do you love most about teaching Fire Tech Crew?

The moment when the students complete a task, even the simplest ones. It’s like a moment of epiphany for them: they realize that technology is not a final product, but a tool to develop new ideas. They feel empowered, their eyes simply shout “I really did this!? It’s amazing!”. And is really rewarding for me, as a tutor, to see the kids overcoming their fears and doubts to produce something new, even being able to create things I couldn’t imagine.

What advice do you have for someone considering attending?

All you need is an open mind and a desire to make the future. Don’t be scared if you’ve never had contact with a circuit board before! Technology is simpler than you think and we are here to support you. If you love technology and already know how to program, that’s amazing but there are a lot of other things to discover and opportunities to use your knowledge. There is space for everyone, just come here and enjoy it!

Fire Tech Crew takes places every Saturday in Notting Hill, London, beginning September-16th until December-2nd. Choose between the morning session 10am-12pm or afternoons 1.30pm-3.30pm. If you can’t make the full 10 classes, you can select a flexi-pass that allows you to select any five classes. Book Fire Tech Crew here.